Overview

IUCN Red List Status: Least concern.

Distribution: Very rare in the UK. Only found on sandy heaths in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey, along with reintroduced populations in Devon and West Sussex.

Found in southern Scandinavia and the Baltic, scattered populations in western, central and eastern Europe, northern Turkey, the Caucasus, northern Iran and Kazakhstan. Also found on the Italian islands of Elba and Sicily.

Habitat: Sandy heathland. Often occurs in places where the sand lizard is found.

Life-span: Up to 20 years.

Size: 60 - 70cm, females often bigger than males. Weight: up to 100g.

Description: Similar in appearance to the adder, but more slender. Grey or dull brown with black bar markings or two rows of dots down the back. Heart-shaped marking on top of the head. Circular pupils. Scales are smooth and flat, unlike those of the adder or grass snake.

Food: Small rodents, lizards, other smooth snakes(!) and occasionally invertebrates.